Paint applying roller



Oct. 9, 1956 v. T. ANDERSON PAINT APPLYING ROLLER Filed Feb. 2, 1953 INVEN TOR. I flwiasav Ilse/v0 1 ATT ORHE Y5 United States Patent PAINT APPLYING ROLLER Vernon T. Anderson, San Jose, Calif. Application February 2, 1953, Serial No. 334,549

8 Claims. (Cl. 15-230) The present invention relates to a paint applying device and pertains more particularly to such a dev ce having a paint carrying roller which is adapted to paint into corners and along predetermined lines.

In recent years, the use of a device having a fleece covered cylindrical roller journaled on a shaft portion of a goose neck shaped rod-like handle has assumed widespread proportions. These devices are generally referred to by those familiar with the art as paint rollers. The ease and speed with which paint can satisfactorily be applied with these rollers even by a beginner, has tremendously increased the proportional amount of paint that is applied by home owners themselves rather than by professional painters and decorators.

Although the application of paint to Walls and ceilings by ordinary cylindrical rollers of the type referred to previously herein is a relatively simple matter, it has been common practice in the past to employ a brush for painting into corners at the juncture of two walls or a wall and ceiling. The use of a brush also has been required for painting along a line dividing two different portions of a painted surface. The need for a brush in the foregoing operations has been due to the fact that with rollers of the type now generally in use it is dilficult if not impossible to paint into corners where two walls or a wall and ceiling join, and also apply the paint cleanly along a predetermined line, since the present rollers have a tendency to smear the paint along the ends of the rollers.

In the past, attempts have been made to provide a roller which would paint cleanly into corners and along a predetermined line, and one attempt to provide such a device consisted in the provision of an ordinary tapered or conical roller. However, this prior tapered roller in itself did not provide a tool which would perform the desired functions, since it required that the handle be held at an angle corresponding to the axis of the cone, which frequently prevented getting into places in which it was desired to use a conical roller. This prior roller also did not provide means for causing the paint to cut off sharply along a terminal line tangent to the larger end of the roller.

The present invention contemplates the provision of an improved painting roller for painting into corners and along a predetermined line to minimize the amount of brush work required to complete a roller painting job.

The invention also provides a conical painting roller, the axis of which is maintained substantially parallel to a side of the cone, the axial mounting structure of the handle being constructed and arranged to exert pressure on the roller to maintain a side thereof in proper rolling contact with a wall or surface to which paint is to be applied.

The invention further provides a conical painting roller provided with means to cause the roller to apply paint along a line tangent to the larger end of the roller and without overrunning such a line.

Another object of the invention is' to provide 'a freely swiveled connection between a handle and a painting roller journaled thereon, with roller means on the handle arranged for rolling contact with an interior wall of the painting roller to press the painting roller into desired rolling contact with a surface to which paint is to be applied.

It also is proposed to mount an improved and simplifled conical paint roller on a handle for combined pivotal and swiveled movement relative thereto.-

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, consisting of one sheet, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a painting roller embodying the present invention, portions thereof broken away on a median plane, joining wall and ceiling surfaces to which paint is to be applied being indicated by broken lines.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the roller shown in Fig. 1, the roller being employed to apply paint to a surface along a prescribed line.

A painting roller assembly A shown in the drawings comprises a handle member 10 of round metal rod, such as steel, bent to a conventional goose neck shape as shown. The outer end portion 11 of the handle member 10 is straight, and is inserted and secured in an axial hole provided therefor in a hand grip member 12. The handle 10 has a straight, transverse shaft portion 13 disposed at right angles to the straight outer shaft portion 11, the former of which provides axial support for a conical paint applying roller 14 mounted thereon.

The conical roller 14 preferably is of molded plastic, such as polymerized styrene. The small end of the roller 14 is rounded and thickened as at 15 and has an inwardly tapered hole 16 therethrough. The roller 14 is provided with a fleece cover 17 which may be of sheepskin or fabric of the types usually employed for covering painting rollers of this general character. The smaller, inner end of the tapered hole 16 is of a diameter to provide wobble journal support for the roller on the transverse shaft portion 13 of the handle 10.

A dished washer 18 is mounted over the rounded smaller end of the conical roller 14 and is retained against downward displacement on the transverse shaft portion 13 as shown in Fig. 1, by a pair of ears 19, 19 which are deformed from the shaft material by suitable tools, not shown, in a conventional manner. Both the dished washer 18 and the exterior surface A spacer sleeve 2%) is journaled on the transverse shaft portion 13, and at its lower end as shown in Fig. 1 bears against the inner side of the thickened portion 15 at the smaller end of the conical roller 14. A pressure roller 21 may be a disk of plastic or other suitable material, and is journaled 011 the transverse shaft portion 13 to bear at a desired distance from its smaller end on the inner surface of the conical roller 14.

The presser roller 21 preferably is of a diameter relative to the small end of the conical roller 14 to position the axis of the transverse shaft portion 13 substantially parallel to the portion of the wall 14a of the conical roller 14 with which the presser roller 21 is in rolling contact. The presser roller 21 preferably bears against the conical paint roller 14 approximately three quarters of its length from its small end 15. Washers 22 and 23 are mounted on opposite sides of the pressure roller 21, the spacer sleeve 20 being of a length to retain the tapered roller 14 and the pressure roller 21 in properly spaced relation on the transverse shaft portion 13 as shown in Fig. 1.

A conventional clip pin 27 mounted in a groove 28 near the terminal end of the transverse shaft retains the parts assembled on the transverse shaft portion 13 against upward displacement, as viewed in Fig. 1. By this construction, the conical roller 14 is journaled for free wobble movement relative to the transverse shaft portion 13 within the limitations imposed by the presser roller 21.

The larger diameter end of the conical roller 14 is provided with a radially extending flange 30 disposed at a slightly obtuse angle to the wall of the cone. The flange 30 preferably is of a height to bring the peripheral edge of the flange into rolling contact with the surface being painted when sufficient pressure is applied to the conical roller 14 to compress the fleece covering 17 of the conical roller 14 a desired amount for proper painting. Since this pressure and consistency are Well known to those familiar with the art, and will vary with the thickness and nature of the fleece covering 17, the flange 30 may be readily designed to have a required height for any particular type of roller covering to be employed.

In using the device, a quantity of paint, not shown, may be applied to the fleece covering 17 of the roller in a conventional manner. For example, the roller may first be rolled or dipped in a shallow supply of paint of a depth preferably not greater than the thickness of the fleece covering 17 and thereafter may be rolled along a flat surface to spread the paint evenly throughout the fleece covering and to remove excess paint therefrom. The conical roller 14 then may be rolled along the surface to be painted with the transverse shaft portion 13 held substantially parallel to the surface to which the paint is to be applied, and at a right angle to the direction along which the roller is to be moved. This direction is indicated, for example, by the arrow 31 in Fig. 2.

The use of the roller for painting into a corner at the juncture of a wall 32 and ceiling 33 is shown in Fig. 1, and the manner in which the roller cuts cleanly into the corner without smearing paint onto the ceiling will be obvious to those familiar with the art. When using the device as shown in Fig. 2 to paint along a prescribed line such as the line 34, it is preferable, after applying a supply of paint to the fleece covering 17, to wipe off any excess drops of paint which may accidentally have gotten onto the terminal flange 30 of the conical roller 14. This may be done by the use of a cloth or brush if desired.

When using the roller as shown in Fig. 2, it is important that the straight outer portion 11 of the handle be maintained substantially at right angles to the direction I of roller movement to avoid eccentric movement of the roller. If desired, a straight-edge 35 (Fig. 2) may be used to guide the roller along the desired line 34.

The device may easily be disassembled for cleaning by removing the clip pin 27 and then drawing the presser roller 21, washers 22 and 23, spacing sleeve 26 and conical roller 14 endwise off the transverse shaft portion 13, and may be reassembled for use by reversing this procedure.

The roller is simple and inexpensive to make and simple and easy to use and to maintain in a clean condition. It permits even a very inexperienced person to perform an excellent painting job with the utmost ease and simplicity and by permitting the use of a roller to apply paint into corners of adjoining walls and along prescribed lines avoids the necessity of using a brush at all points except where three walls intersect such as at the corner of two walls and a ceiling of a room. In such case, tl e use of the brush is required for only a few square inches at each such corner.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be understood however, that various changes and modifications may be made in the details thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. I have used the term fleece as a covering material, but it is obviously possible to use all suitable paint absorbing or stippling materials commonly employed for covering rollers of this type. Such covering materials include, among others, sheared sheepskin, piled and other fabrics, and rubber and plastic sponge.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A painting roller comprising a handle having a straight shaft portion and a straight hand grip support portion disposed at right angles to the shaft portion, a hand grip member mounted co-extensivcly on said straight hand grip support portion, a hollow conic paint applying roller mounted with its small end journaled on said shaft portion and free for wobble movement thereon, an absorbent covering on said conic roller, a presser roller journaled on said shaft portion spaced from the small end of said conic roller to have rolling engagement with the interior of the conic roller to limit the wobble movement of said conic roller and to press said absorbent covering into rolling engagement with a surface to be painted, and a radially extending flange surrounding the larger end of the conic roller, said flange being of a radial height substantially equal to the compressed thickness of the absorbent covering during a painting operation.

2. A painting roller comprising a handle having a shaft portion, a hand grip mounted on said handle to extend laterally from the shaft portion, a hollow paint applying roller journaled for rotative and universal pivotal movement at one end thereof on said shaft portion to be free for wobble movement thereon, an absorbent covering on the paint applying roller, and a presser roller journaled on the shaft portion within the roller and spaced from the journal mounted end of said paint applying roller to have rolling engagement with the interior of the paint applying roller to press said absorbent covering into rolling engagement with a surface to be painted.

3. A painting roller comprising a goose neck shaped handle having a straight shaft portion and a straight hand grip support portion disposed at right angles to the shaft portion, a hand grip member mounted on said straight hand grip support portion, a hollow conic paint applying roller having its small end journaled on said shaft portion and free for wobble movement thereon, an absorbent covering on said conic roller, a presser roller journaled on said shaft portion within said paint applying roller, a spacing element slidably telescoped on said shaft portion to retain said presser roller spaced a major portion of the length of said conic roller from the small and of said conic roller, and a peri herally sharpened, radially extending flange surrounding the larger end of the conic roller and disposed at an obtuse angle to the periphery of the conic roller, said flange being of a radial height substantially equal to the compressed thickness of the absorbent covering during a painting operation.

4. A painting roller comprising a handle, a conic paint applying roller journaled at one end only thereof for combined rotative and universal pivotal movement thereon, an inwardly facing co-axial annular wall portion on said roller spaced axially from the pivotal connection of the roller to the handle, an absorbent covering on said paint applying roller, and a presser element on said handle to have pressing engagement with the annular wall portion of said conic roller to limit Wobble movement of the conic roller relative to the handle and to press the conic roller toward a surface to be painted.

5. A painting roller comprising a handle having a shaft portion, a conic paint applying roller having a cavity axially thereof of larger diameter than the handle shaft portion, said roller being journaled for free wobble movement on the shaft portion, a co-axial interior wall portion on said roller spaced axially from the wobble connection of the roller to the handle, an absorbent covering on 2) said roller, and a presser roller mounted on said handle in position to have rolling, pressing engagement with the inwardly facing annular wall portion of said conic roller to press the conic roller toward a surface to be painted.

6. An arrangement according to claim 5 wherein the small end of the conic roller is thickened axially, and has a tapered hole axially therethrough providing the journal support of the roller on the handle.

7. An arrangement according to claim 6 wherein the small end of the roller is rounded externally and a dished Washer is mounted on the shaft portion in fitted, slidable conformation with the external surface of the rounded end of the conic roller, the dished washer being of a size to extend radially beyond the tapered hole in the small end of the conic roller to seal the tapered hole against the admission of paint therein.

8. A painting roller comprising a handle having a shaft portion, a hollow conic paint applying roller journaled at its small end on said shaft portion and free for wobble movement relative thereto, an absorbent covering on said conic roller, a presser roller journaled on said shaft portion interiorly of said conic roller, a spacing sleeve slidably telescoped onto said shaft portion between said presser roller and the small end of said conic roller to retain the presser roller in axially spaced relation from the small end of the conic roller by a major portion of the length of the latter, and fastening means on said shaft portion to retain said presser roller, said sleeve and said conic roller on said shaft portion, said fastening means being releasable to free said presser roll, said sleeve and said conic roller for removal axially from said shaft portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 761,952 Fredericks June 7, 1904 2,321,511 Piercy June 8, 1943 2,627,620 Gudze Feb. 10, 1953 2,644,186 Guimond July 7, 1953 2,680,318 Simmons June 8, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 666,798 Great Britain Feb. 20, 1952 

